Love that cannot conquer all
by Bloodthirsty
Summary: Okay... My first real try at LoK seriousness. It's a romance fic between Kain and Ariel, and the first serious one on FF.net! I know it's odd, but *I* happen to like them together. R&R if you're feeling kind today, lol.


Bloodthirsty: What do you get when you mix a bad mood, LoK, sad songs, and the need to type?  
  
Legolas: Uhm. . . Kain singing angsty music. . .?  
  
Kain: Oh gods. . . please tell me I don't have to sing.  
  
Bloodthirsty: No! No singing. *growls* You get a Kain/Ariel romance!  
  
Kain:. . .  
  
Legolas: Heheheh. Ariel. she's the old hag with half a face, right?  
  
Kain:. . .  
  
Legolas: *gets thwaped in the head by Ariel*  
  
Bloodthirsty: Heh. . . I love my muses. . .  
  
Disclaimer: The plot is mine!!! The first serious Kain/Ariel I know of! *is proud* Sadly, I own nothing else. . . So don't fricken sue me! Kain and Ariel belong to CD and Edios interactive, and well, the song epiphany belongs to Staind.  
  
Love that cannot conquer all  
  
Staind Epiphany  
  
~'Cause I talk to you like children,  
  
Though I don't know how I feel  
  
But I know I'll do the right thing  
  
If the right thing is revealed~  
  
  
  
The Pillars; those crumbled, pathetic metaphors of the health of Nosgoth. She was trapped there until Kain made the ultimate sacrifice. It had been decades-nay, centuries since he had refused, and she had grudgingly accepted that he wasn't going to kill himself for Nosgoth.  
  
For a while, she had herself convinced that she hated him; with a passion. But over years of seeing him at his best, and at his worst, she found that she hated what he had done more than he himself. In fact, Kain could be quite the gentlemen when he wanted to be. Hours of discussion made him seem less monstrous, and more individual. The crest of flesh and bone on his head seemed less demonic, and more kingly. Almost as if it were a crown for him, to show that he was above the rest. And his eyes. . . a lot like the sun, it was dangerous to look straight into those golden orbs. Those eyes had seen so much: Triumph, betrayal, hatred, death, torment, and so much loss. Those ridges that covered his body seemed to display the burdens and scars that his mind bore. And still, she found him beautiful.  
  
A small disturbance in the atmosphere around her signalled that he had just appeared. Teleportation had always caught her off guard. He appeared a few moments after she felt the small ripples of distortion, looking more tired than she had ever seen him before. The Soul Reaver was clutched securely in his hand, and he looked at Ariel. His eyes ran up and down, seemingly contemplating why she was there. There was no malice in his eyes, nor any other emotion aside from curiosity.  
  
"I am here because I have no other place to go, Kain." Ariel said bluntly, not giving Kain any chance to ask the question.  
  
"You know me too well, spirit." Kain said with a soft chuckle that didn't reach his eyes. He sat down in his throne and leaned back.  
  
"Please, Kain. I do not call you 'Vampire'; do not call me 'Spirit." She said sharply.  
  
"All right then, Ariel, unless you have anything of importance to say, I am asking you, please leave me in peace." He said, sounding more wary than irritated. He leaned forward, and rested his head in one hand, which was propped up on his leg.  
  
Ariel cocked her head to one side, looking at him, trying to actually see him for more than his exterior. She wanted to see emotion on his face aside from anger. He sighed again, and opened an eye to see if she was still there.  
  
"Are you going to leave?" He asked again.  
  
"Do you want me to leave?" She asked him, almost testing him.  
  
"If all you plan on doing is playing these games, spirit, then yes, I would appreciate you leaving."  
  
Ariel snorted indignantly. "I wasn't aware I was playing games, Vampire." was her cool reply.  
  
Kain's eyes narrowed, and he stood up. Clutching his precious sword, he took an intimidating step towards the spectre. She merely laughed at him. Kain continued to stalk towards her until their faces were merely inches apart.  
  
"You cannot intimidate me, Kain. I am beyond your reach." She said, sneering at him.  
  
"You're so much more beautiful when you aren't smirking, Ariel." Kain said mockingly, changing the subject abruptly. Instead of saying something back to him, she merely stared at him, with an astonished look plastered on her face.  
  
"Y-you think I'm beautiful?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, and she stared into his eyes, searching for something, anything that would tell her he was telling the truth. Yet much like the sun, she could see nothing, and couldn't stand to look any longer.  
  
"Hardly. You just look better when you're face isn't contorted with anger." He said, smirking back.  
  
"As do you, Kain!" She spat his name, trying not to sound hurt by his words, but failed.  
  
"Did I strike a nerve?" He asked coyly. "Do my ears deceive me? Or does the ghost harbour feelings only meant for the late Nupraptor. . .?" He asked, malice dripping from his voice.  
  
"You know nothing, Kain! No one could replace him, especially not you. I merely thought that perhaps, somehow, you had a shred of humanity in you. A small hint of emotion left." She said, staring daggers into him. Kain merely smirked in response. Before another word could be said, Ariel faded into the spectral realm. Had she dared to look into his eyes again, she would have seen that his malicious grin hadn't reached his eyes.  
  
He sat down in his throne again, becoming even more tired than he had before he had talked with Ariel. Knowing that his voice was beyond her ears, he spoke in a hoarse whisper, somehow wishing she would hear it, but still thankful she couldn't.  
  
"You are beautiful Ariel. more beautiful than you know."  
  
  
  
Bloodthirsty: Now wasn't that pretty?  
  
Kain: No, not at all!  
  
Legolas: *shudders*  
  
Bloodthirsty: =P on you all!  
  
Yeah. T'is badly written, and very cheesy. But humour this poor author and review.? *big puppy eyes* I'm actually considering making this into a full fledged story, but kinda doubting it. Sorry about the '. . .', but when I try to do a full one, like so . it only appears as a period. stupid word.doc. This new version of Microsoft Word sucks! It doesn't have define, or the ability to save in HTML, so if anyone knows how to make it able to save in HTML, I would be very happy. ^_^  
  
Anyhoo, hoped ya liked it. T'was fun to write. 


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